What can be a numb tongue and mouth: 7 most common causes

There are some factors that can cause tingling and numbness in the tongue and mouth, which are generally not severe and treatment is relatively simple.

However, there are signs and symptoms to watch out for to avoid diseases that can be caused by a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, neurological problems or even sequelae that can result from a stroke, for example.

1. Stroke

In some cases, the tongue may be numb or tingling during a stroke. In this case, other symptoms that may occur are severe headache, decreased strength on one side of the body and difficulty raising one arm and standing, loss of sensation, changes in vision, asymmetrical face, confused speech, confusion mental illness, nausea and vomiting, which is due to a decrease in blood supply to the brain due to stroke.

What to do:

If you suspect that a stroke is occurring, go to or call a medical emergency immediately. See how stroke treatment and recovery is performed and what rehabilitation consists of to reduce the consequences.

2. Food allergy

A food allergy can cause a tingling, numbness and swelling in the mouth, tongue and lips, thrush and throat discomfort. In addition, there may also be other symptoms that manifest on the skin, such as itching and redness or gastrointestinal discomfort, such as abdominal pain, excessive gas, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. In more severe cases, the person may have difficulty breathing, which can be life-threatening. Know the causes and how to identify a food allergy.

What to do:

Treatment for food allergy should be done by the doctor as soon as possible, and it depends on the severity of the symptoms and generally acute cases are treated with antihistamine drugs, such as ebastine, loratadine or cetirizine, for example, corticosteroids such as prednisolone or deflazacorte, for example, and bronchodilators. In severe cases, in which anaphylaxis occurs, adrenaline should be administered.

In addition, it is very important to identify which foods cause food allergies, by assessing signs and symptoms that produce certain foods and by immunological tests, and to remove them from the diet and to be very careful when eating meals outside the home.

3. Hypocalcemia

Hypocalcemia is a decrease in blood calcium levels that, in most cases, does not cause any symptoms. However, when the amount of calcium is very low, severe symptoms such as muscle spasms, mental confusion, convulsions and tingling of the mouth and hands can appear.

This calcium deficiency can be caused by vitamin D deficiency, hypoparathyroidism, low calcium intake or malabsorption, kidney disease, alcoholism and some medications.

What to do:

The treatment of hypocalcemia depends on the cause, severity and symptoms. When there is severe hypocalcemia and symptoms, calcium should be replaced, with calcium gluconate or calcium chloride, in the hospital, until the symptoms are relieved. If it is lighter, foods and supplements with calcium may be indicated. See a list of foods rich in calcium.

In addition, the cause must also be investigated and resolved, which may include magnesium replacement, vitamin D and treatment of kidney or parathyroid problems.

4. Vitamin B deficiency

Some of the most frequent symptoms of a lack of B vitamins are easy tiredness, irritability, inflammation and tingling in the mouth and tongue and headache, which can be caused by insufficient food intake with these vitamins or taking any medication that prevent its absorption. See other symptoms that may be caused by deficiency in B vitamins.

What to do:

The treatment of B vitamin deficiency should be done by increasing the intake of foods containing these vitamins and dietary supplements. If it is a severe deficiency of any of these vitamins, there are also medications that can be prescribed by the doctor.

Some of these vitamins, such as B12 and B9, are essential in pregnancy and your needs are increased, so it is very important to take a supplement during this phase.

5. Medicines

Some medications with anesthetics in their composition, such as mouthwashes, throat lozenges, sprays for toothache or anesthetic remedies used by the dentist, usually cause numbness and tingling in the mouth and tongue. Depending on the type of medication, these symptoms can last from minutes to hours, and should not be a cause for concern, and the doctor who prescribes them should alert the person about these side effects before administering the medication.

What to do:

If the discomfort caused by products containing anesthetics is very large, it can be avoided and replaced by others that do not contain anesthetics in the composition. However, usually the numb mouth feeling caused by anesthetics does not last long.

6. Migraine

In addition to the severe headache caused by migraine, tingling in the arms, lips and tongue, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting may also occur. These symptoms can occur before the headache arises and persist throughout the crisis. See other symptoms that can be caused by migraine.

What to do:

The treatment of migraine depends on the symptoms and must be indicated by a neurologist, who can prescribe some medications such as Ibuprofen, Zomig, Migrétil or Enxak for example, for the relief of pain and other symptoms.

To treat migraine effectively and in advance, it is very important to learn to recognize the first symptoms that usually precede headache, such as feeling sick, neck pain, mild dizziness or sensitivity to light, smell or noise and to start treatment immediately.

7. Anxiety and stress

Some people who suffer from stress and anxiety may experience a slight tingling in the tongue, which can lead to more anxiety and panic. Other characteristic symptoms are constant fear, bellyache, dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth or muscle tension, for example. Learn to recognize anxiety symptoms and possible causes.

What to do:

People who suffer from constant stress and anxiety, should consult a doctor or a psychologist, in order to understand which treatment is best, which can be done with therapy, natural remedies or, in more severe cases, anxiolytic remedies. Watch the following video to learn what to eat to help control this problem: